


The Gilmore Way

by TheProperLexicon



Category: Gilmore Girls
Genre: F/M, a year in the life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-29
Updated: 2016-12-06
Packaged: 2018-09-02 23:52:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8688418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheProperLexicon/pseuds/TheProperLexicon
Summary: ***MAJOR SPOILERS FOR A YEAR IN THE LIFE***Ok, so Rory's life is changing drastically. It's nothing that she can't handle, right? She's a planner. She's made a list. She knows what she wants. Ok, maybe she doesn't know what she wants. But she knows what she's going to do. The question is, is she going to have a partner, or is history bound to repeat itself?





	1. The Note in the Margin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Rory gets some notes from Jess, and is denied coffee.

In situations like this, people always talked about solutions, but Rory had lived through too much in her life to fall for that. There were no solutions to the situation she was in. There were only hard decisions and harder ones. Having her mother in her corner seemed to lighten the load, though. Once Lorelei recovered from her initial shock, she slipped her arm around her daughter and pulled her into her. She had pressed her lips to Rory’s forehead and sighed. “Ok kid,” she whispered. “What’s the plan?”  


Rory had smiled, her eyes closed. “What makes you think I have a plan?” Her voice had cracked a little, and Lorelei’s arm tightened around her shoulders.

“Thirty-two years together, kid,” Lorelei had answered. “You’ve got a plan.”

“I’m going to keep it,” she had answered. “And I’m going to do it alone.”

Lorelei had pulled away, her eyes focused on her daughter. “You’re not going to be alone,” she said. “You know that.” Rory had nodded, blinking away tears. “Come on, kid.” Lorelei pushed herself up from the steps of the gazebo, and reached out a hand. “Let’s get you some ice cream.”

“It’s six in the morning,” Rory had laughed, letting her mother pull her up.

Lorelei tilted her head and smirked. “When has that stopped us?” she asked, linking her arm through Rory’s and pulling her along.

 

That had been two weeks ago. Since then Rory had told Luke, and her grandmother, but outside of those two, she and Lorelei had played all their cards close to their chest. Lorelei had taken the reigns on some things, like making doctor’s appointments and making sure she had the right vitamins. They had taken measurements of her room and talked through dozens of different ways that they could rearrange the furniture to make room for a basinet. But it was Luke that had solved the problem.

The apartment above the diner had been empty for years. Occasionally TJ and Liz had crashed there when they came in to town, but it was mostly storage now. Until one evening, Luke had come into the kitchen and dropped a set of keys on the table next to her laptop. “What’s this?” she asked, looking up at him as her fingers wrapped around the metal ring. Two keys clanked together. The keychain had a dull, old fish hook on it.

“The keys to the apartment,” Luke answered as he kept walking, crossing to the fridge and opening it. Rory blinked at him, the keys dangling in her grip. “I’ve cleaned it out and scrubbed it down. When you’re packed up, I can move your stuff from your room here. Or if you want to get new stuff, that’s fine too. I mean, it’s your place. I’ve left the old couch up there for now, but it can be moved whenever you’re ready. I mean, if you want to keep it, you can, but it’s really old and-”

He was cut off as Rory pushed herself up from her chair and came around the table to throw her arms around him. “Thank you,” she whispered. Luke’s arms came around her and he smiled into her hair. “Thank you.”

Now Rory was living in her own space above Luke’s Diner. She had a key into the restaurant, and another into the apartment. When she had told Emily about her move, her grandmother had insisted on giving her the money to remodel the place. When Rory had pushed back on it, Emily had told her that she had never thought that she would be a great-grandmother, and she wanted to do what she could to help. After some convincing, Rory had conceded and Emily’s check had come in the mail the following week from her new address in the Cape. 

When Rory was not fielding questions from Lorelei she was working on the book. She had not been lying when she told Lorelei that it had been pouring out of her as soon as she sat down to write it, and it had not slowed. She had been working on the chapter where she introduced Jess for the first time, carefully changing his name as she had with all of them so far, when her cell rang. She reached for it and pressed the screen to answer.

“Rory Gilmore,” she said, mostly by habit.

“Hey, Rory,” Jess’ voice spilled over her. “Is this a good time?”

Rory leaned back, closing her laptop and smiling. “Depends on what you want,” she joked.

“I finished the chapters you gave me,” he answered. She stilled, her fingers on the top of the silver computer. Jess waited a long moment before speaking again. “Rory, it’s good.” She inhaled sharply. “It’s really… good. It’s going to be great when it’s done. This story, man. This story needs to be told.”

“Thank you,” she exhaled. “Thank you, Jess.” She took a steadying breath and closed her eyes for a moment to find her center again. Then she spoke once more. “Do you have any notes?”

She could hear the ruffling of pages on his end. “I do, yeah. I was gonna come in to see Luke this weekend, if you’ve got time to sit down with me.”

“That sounds great,” she answered. “I have a weekend edition of the Gazette to put out, but I should be done with that on Saturday.”

“A weekend edition of the Gazette?” he chuckled. “What does Stars Hollow have going on that it needs a special printing?”

Rory laughed too, a bark of noise as she tilted her head back. “Absolutely nothing,” she answered. “But Taylor wants it, so Taylor gets it.”

“So true,” Jess answered. “All right, Gilmore. I’ll see you in a few days, and we’ll catch up.” They bid farewell and Rory set her phone down on the desk beside her. She tilted her head to rest her temple on her open palm and let her gaze drift across the main space to where Jess’ old room used to be to the new crib that Lorelei had bought her only the day before. It was still in its box and it boasted the best night sleep any baby could ever ask for, and Rory could not help but wonder whether she really would tell Jess just what was happening with her.

 

Her days were monotonous. She went in to the Gazette and worked on the paper, she came back to her apartment and wrote the novel. Lorelei would call her a million times a day, talking a mile a minute about the renovations to the new Dragonfly Inn, and she would try to keep up. But there was something different about her now, something strange. She felt untethered, and not in a way that she had ever felt before. This untethering was something altogether different. It was less of a soul untethering and more of a bodily one. She felt lighter than she had in months, perhaps all year. She felt softer, rounder, and more whole. And on Saturday morning when she woke with the sun and found her hand resting peacefully on her slightly rounded stomach she figured out why. She was going to be a mother, and for the first time in her adult life, she was going into something with a plan.

So when her phone rang around three that afternoon, it found her sitting on the floor in the apartment, surrounded with crib parts, the instructions out in front of her. “Rory Gilmore,” she answered, not looking at the screen.

“Hey Gilmore, you’re not at the Gazette,” Jess said into her ear.

“Oh, hey, Jess. I finished with the special edition earlier this morning. I’m…” she trailed off, glancing around. She was surrounded by baby things. “I’m… Wanna meet me at Luke’s?”

“Yeah, sounds good. How long will it take you?”

“Not long, I’m actually right near there. See you in a few?”

“Yup. See ya.”

Rory pushed herself up off the floor and wrapped a large sweater around her to hide her swelling form before heading downstairs.

The diner was moderately busy for the time of day, and Rory greeted Luke as he pushed by with a plate of food. “Hey, kiddo,” Luke said, gesturing to the far table. “You hungry?”

“Uh, yeah. Jess is coming by, so I’ll wait til he gets here to order.” Luke nodded as he dropped a plate next to a laptop toting hipster sort. “I’ll take a coffee, though!”

“Decaf coffee, comin’ up!” Luke called as he stepped behind the counter. Rory wrinkled her nose at him but he ignored her. The bell for the door rang as soon as she slipped into the seat, and Jess stepped in. “Hey Jess!” Luke called. “Coffee?”

“Hey Luke, yeah, coffee’d be great,” he turned and found Rory sitting near the window. “Hey, Gilmore.” He sank into the chair across from her. “You’re looking good.” He tilted his head to take her in with those dark, observant eyes. “Something going on? Why do you look so… different?”

“I’m growing out my hair,” Rory lied as Luke dropped her decaf coffee in front of her and Jess’ full bodied in front of him. Luke frowned at her, but she ignored him. “So, what brings you down to Star’s Hollow? You said you were visiting TJ and Liz?”

“Yeah, it’s their anniversary, so they’re having some weird party.”

Rory frowned. “Anniversary? I thought they got married in the spring.”

“They did. It’s not that anniversary,” Jess answered, sipping his coffee. Rory opened her mouth to ask another question but he held his hand up. “Don’t ask. You don’t want to know.”

“Got it,” Rory replied, sipping her decaf. If she pretended there was caffeine it almost did not taste joyless. “So, you brought me something?”

“I… I did,” Jess stumbled over the words as though he were going to say something else and changed his mind. He reached into his shoulder bag and withdrew the pages she had given him, the first three chapters. “My notes are there.” She reached for it, but he pulled it back. “Don’t… don’t read them until I’m gone, ok?”

Rory frowned at him as she tilted her head. “Why?” she asked.

“Just… Just don’t.”

“Are they bad?”

“No, they’re… Just don’t.”

“Ok, yeah, of course.”

“Thanks,” he handed her the packet and she slipped it into her lap. “I should go,” he added abruptly. “You’ve probably got a million things to do.”

“Oh,” Rory said softly. “I thought we were going to have some time to talk or something.”

Jess nodded. “I know, but I have to get to Liz and TJ’s, and… You have notes.” Her eyes fell to the full cups of coffee between them and she nodded slowly. “I’ll tell you what,” Jess continued. “How about you go over those notes tonight and if you want to see me tomorrow, give me a call.”

“You can just come over,” Rory answered quickly. “I’ll want to see you.”

Jess’ lips turned down slight and he hitched a shoulder in a half shrug. “Go over the notes, and give me a call if you want to meet up, ok?”

“Yeah. Ok.”  


“Bye, Gilmore,” he said, pushing himself up from the table. Rory watched as he waved goodbye to Luke and headed for the door. He gave her once last glance over his shoulder at her before he stepped into the encroaching winter, and for a moment she saw worry in those expressive eyes.

After he had gone, Luke came over to the table and stopped beside her. “Did you forget to shower this morning?” he joked. Rory gave him a half smile. “Come on, kid, what happened there?”

“He had to get to Liz and TJ’s, something about an anniversary.”

“They got married in the spring,” Luke recalled.

“That’s what I said, but he said not to ask.”

“Then I won’t. You hungry?”

“Pancakes, sausage and a bagel with cream cheese?”

“It’s three thirty in the afternoon!” Luke exclaimed. Rory shrugged and gaze up at him with pleading eyes. “Oh, fine. Do you want any eggs?”

“Scrambled, please!” Luke nodded and disappeared into the kitchen to give her order to Cesar while Rory flipped open the pages and began to read through the notes.

Jess’ handwriting was still neat and orderly, perfect block letters scrawled in the margins. They highlighted sections of the writing where she switched tenses, or offered up suggestions of synonyms as she moved through. She circled the suggestions she wanted to change, and altered a few of the ones he had made without understanding her meaning. The pages on the left stacked up as she ate, and the pages on the right thinned. As she flipped to the last page she skimmed to the bottom of the final paragraph she had given him and there in that blocky print was a note from him. Unlike any of the other notes that she had gone through, this one did not pertain to the novel at all. This one was directed at her and her alone.

The final sentence of the third chapter, the last thing that she had written into the copy that she had given him that day weeks ago was underlined twice. It read, _‘Sometimes second chances come in the strangest of times. My mother discovered her second chance in a gardening shed on the ground of an inn. My second chance would not come so readily to me.’_

Below that underlined phrase Jess had written, _‘Maybe it’s time for my second chance?’_ Rory inhaled sharply as she stared at the words, her heart racing in her chest. She flipped the book closed dropped her hands in her lap. So much had shifted for her, and if Jess really wanted a second chance, he was going to have to know just what that entailed.

She reached into her back pocket and extracted her phone. It was not a phone call conversation, at least not one to be had in Luke’s. So she texted him.

_I’ve finished your notes. What time would you like to meet tomorrow?_

His response was immediate. _Whatever time you want. Anywhere you like._

_10am at the gazebo, then?_

Again, it was immediate. _I’ll be there._

Rory darkened her phone screen and leaned her head on her hands. There was a crib upstairs to put together, and a series of well thought out notes to put into effect, but all she wanted right now was to know how this would all play out. She wanted to be able to write herself a happy ending, and that seemed unlikely from where she was standing.


	2. I'm In If You're In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Jess is in if Rory's in, and Rory gets denied coffee. Again.

It had yet to snow, but it was starting to feel as though it would. Rory did not have her mother’s gift of smelling it, but she had lived through enough Connecticut winters to feel it coming for her. She was bundled up against the elements as she sat on the bench in the gazebo, her scarf up around her chin and her face tilted down to let her breath warm her nose. She heard footfalls on the stairs, and she turned her head to see Jess come into view. He wore this brown coat and a bright red scarf. His hair was pushed back behind his ears, and his cheeks were rosy in the cool wind. “Hey,” she greeted, sliding over to make room for him, even though she had already been sitting to one side. He sank down beside her.

“Hey,” he answered, not looking at her. His leg immediately started bumping nervously. She reached out a hand to still it, but stopped inches from his jeans. She did not have permission to touch him, yet. Her heart ached. She wanted to, had wanted to for months now. Ever since he had sat across from her at the Gazette and told her to write what she knew. But he was so distant, and then there was Logan. And since Logan, that other thing.

“So…” she said at the exact same moment that he said it. They laughed. “You go,” she offered, gesturing a hand to him.

“Uh,” he began. “About that note.”

“I agree,” she blurted out. “I mean, if you meant it. If you didn’t mean it or you’ve changed your mind, or…” He reached out and took her hand, which was still gesturing wildly in his face, successfully cutting her off.

“I haven’t changed my mind, Rory. I’m just not sure how to move forward.”

Rory shifted in her seat, her hair came untucked from behind her ear and she pushed it back. “Well, before we even discuss that, there’s something I need to tell you.” Jess had been looking at her with those dark eyes, but now he shifted to face her entirely, his knee bumping hers. He kept her hand in his, and she felt his heartbeat in his fingers. “I’m pregnant.”

She watched his eyes widen, and his mouth drop open slightly. His nervously bouncing leg stilled and he just stared at her for a long few seconds. “Rory, I…” he whispered.

“It’s ok,” she answered, tugging her fingers away from him. “I know. It’s a lot to suddenly get dropped on you.” She chuckled halfheartedly. “Imagine how I feel. You can at least walk away before it’s too late.”

She pushed herself up off the bench to the sound of his silence, and in the cold of the oncoming winter the bench creaked. She opened her mouth to bid him farewell, but Jess’ hand snapped out and wrapped back around her fingers. His skin was cold, but she felt a rush of heat. “It’s already too late, Rory,” he whispered, pulling her back down onto the bench. With her beside him again, and obscured by the fencing of the gazebo, Jess slipped his hands behind her head and kissed her.

She felt herself melting against him, warm and tingly, and bulky from her thick coat. But Jess did not seem to care. His hands were cold, but his lips were warm and soft, just as soft as she remembered them to be all those years ago. For a long moment it was just the two of them in the world, the sun filtering down through the thick clouds to give the whole square an extra bit of glow. When Jess finally pulled away, they were both breathing hard. He rested his forehead against hers and exhaled. His breath was warm on her face and smelled of peppermint. “You don’t know what you’re saying,” she managed to argue, still stuck on her point. “You don’t know what this means.”

Jess frowned, his hands still on her neck, his thumbs tracing her jawline. “We’ll figure it out,” he answered. “Please, Rory.”

Rory reached up and snagged both of his hands, pulling them down away from her face. She brought them to her lips before releasing them. He pulled them back, but she could see that he wanted to reach for her again. “How about this,” she began. “How about you take some time, think about it, sort through it? We won’t make any snap decisions. It’s a lot to process and I don’t want you to just jump in feet first and regret it later. If you want to talk to Luke about it, he knows. And if you decide that it’s not right for you, no hard feelings, ok?”

“No hard feelings?” Jess’ voice sounded strangled. “Just like that?”

“Look, I’ve already realized that I’m doing this on my own. The… The father doesn’t even know about it. Yet. Maybe ever. We’ll see. I don’t know. He couldn’t be a part of it anyway. He has his own life. So if you can’t jump into this mess that I’ve made, then it’s fine. No hard feelings.”

“Rory, I-”

“Think about it, Jess. Take some time. I’ll be around.” She pushed herself up again and this time he did not reach for her. “I’ll talk to you later.” He did not argue as she turned on her heel and left the gazebo. He watched her cross the street and head toward the new Dragonfly Inn. He waited until she had climbed the steps and pushed the door open before he also climbed to his feet. Luke’s was just across the square, and he was in desperate need of coffee.

 

Jess pushed the door open and stepped inside. It was midmorning on a Sunday and the crowd was thinned. Luke had changed his wifi password again and was back to his old game of giving everyone a different one, so there were not too many people sitting at laptops. Luke was behind the counter drying glasses and for a moment he reminded Jess of the seasoned old bartenders at some of the dives he used to frequent in the City. At the sound of the bell, Luke glanced up and a smile broke open on his face. “Hey, Jess,” he greeted. “What brings you here?”

“Oh you know, the jovial attitude of this establishment,” he joked, sliding onto a bar stool.

“So, coffee,” Luke replied, turning to grab the carafe off the warmer. “Heading back to the city today? How was the party?” Jess rolled his eyes as he reached for a sugar. “That good, huh?”

“It was fine. Liz and TJ have so many weird friends. I spent most of the night hiding in the stairwell reading.”

“Sounds about right,” Luke answered, returning to drying his glasses. “So, what’s up?”

“Can’t a guy just visit his favorite uncle for a cup of joe and some nice conversation?”

“Not when that uncle is me,” Luke joked. “There’s no nice conversation to be had here.”

Jess sighed and took a sip of the steaming coffee. It burned the roof of his mouth and he smacked his lips. “I just talked to Rory,” Jess whispered, not lifting his eyes up to look at Luke. But the man stopped moving and Jess felt his stare on him. “She told me.”

“Told you what?” Luke asked casually, as though he had no idea what Jess was talking about.

Now Jess lifted his head to look at Luke in the eyes. “She told me that thing that no else would probably know about.” He patted his stomach.

“Oh, that thing,” Luke answered. “Hold on.” He turned to call over his shoulder. “Cesar! Watch the front, I’m going out back!”

“You got it, boss!” Cesar called. Luke nodded his head toward the storage room. Jess rose to his feet and grabbed his cup. Luke got his own and followed his nephew into the back.

He closed the door behind him and turned to face Jess. “What did she tell you?”

“That she’s pregnant. And the dad is out of the picture.” Jess went to take a sip of his coffee and his hands were shaking, so he set the mug on a shelf and glared at it. “I’m in love with her, Luke,” he added.

Luke had been about to say something when he froze, staring wide-eyed at Jess. “Come again?” he asked, his voice catching. He gulped. “Did you just… Still? Really?”

Jess nodded, reaching for the cup again. His hands were still shaking. He left it on the shelf. “Yeah. Still. Probably this whole time. I don’t know when I realized it. Maybe it was when I saw her this summer. Maybe it was as I was reading the pages she gave me.” He paused. “No, it was definitely before the wedding. I realized it when I saw her come out of the kitchen with her mom. I just… knew.” He sighed. “And she was with some other guy. Some loser who won’t be around to take care of her because he has his own life, or whatever.” He raked his hands through his hair. “What the hell does that even mean? Who doesn’t have time for his own kid?” He stumbled over the words as he realized what he was saying. His own father had not had time for him, his own mother had not had time for him. Only Luke had bothered to try. He turned to look at the man where he stood silently behind him, his hands tucked into his pockets. “What should I do, Luke?” he asked.

“What? Why are you asking me?”

Jess leaned his weight onto one foot, his hands slipping into his pocket to mirror his uncle. “You’re the closest thing I’ve ever had to a father. What would you do?”

A small smile broke across that stubbly chin. He shrugged, his hands still in his pockets. “Exactly what I did,” he answered. Jess nodded slowly, watching him. “Now, drink your coffee. You want food? I can make you a sandwich.”

“No,” Jess answered, picking up his mug with steady hands. “I need to find Rory. I don’t need a week. I have my answer.”

Luke nodded, pulling the door open and stepping aside to let Jess lead the way out. Jess downed his coffee and set the mug on the counter. “Wish me luck,” he called over his shoulder. Luke just laughed.

 

Rory was sitting at a small card table in the kitchen of the new Dragonfly Inn. Lorelei had made coffee (the real stuff!) for them and once Rory had blurted out everything that had happened in the gazebo, they had been sitting in companionable silence, if you could ignore the sounds of work going on around them. Upstairs, men were renovating and painting, preparing the Inn for the changeover. Michel was shouting something about the colors in the spa needing to be more relaxing, and somewhere just out of sight, Sookie was talking to herself about the square footage needed for her kitchen expansion.

The front door opened and Lorelei pushed her chair back to see if she could catch a glimpse. “Roy, is that you?” she called. “Sookie has a ton of notes for you!”

“Uh, not Roy,” Jess said as he came around the corner. “But I’m happy to meet with Sookie if she wants me to.”

“Jess!” Rory exclaimed, pushing up from her chair. “I wasn’t… Er, what are you doing here?”

“I came to talk to you,” he answered, his gaze cutting to Lorelei. “Hey, Lorelei.”

“Uh, hey, Jess. Do you want some coffee?”

“No, I’m good,” he answered, standing in the doorway. 

Lorelei glanced between the two of them as they awkwardly stared at each other. When the silence seemed like it could stretch on forever, she finally rose to her feet. “Well, I’m going to go see if Michel needs a bag to hyperventilate into. You two should… I don’t know, continue doing whatever it is you’re doing, communicating telepathically or whatever.” With that, she took her coffee and disappeared out the same door that Jess stood in, he had to shift into the room to make space for her.

Alone, Rory gestured to the empty seat at the card table. He crossed the room and sat down. “I wasn’t expecting to see you this soon,” she offered. _Or ever_ , she thought to herself.

“I stopped at Luke’s,” Jess offered by way of an explanation. When it did not seem enough, he continued. “And I realized something.” Rory picked her coffee, her hands shaking as she wrapped her fingers around the steaming mug. “I’m in if you’re in.”

Her heart skipped a beat. It echoed the words that Logan had said to her all those years ago, standing on that tower, with an umbrella in her hand, but this was different. There was something entirely different about that moment and this moment. Logan had not known hardly anything about her when he said them, but Jess knew everything. He knew her biggest secret, and he was jumping in.

“But it’s a mess,” she whispered. “I’m a mess. Everything is going to be a mess.”

Jess quirked a smile at her, sliding his hands out of his pockets and reaching to take the mug out of her grip. He wrapped his warm hands around hers and whispered, “You’re a Gilmore. When is it not messy?” She scoffed playfully and his grin widened. “But I’m still in. If you’re in.”

“I’m in.”

“Good. We’ll be a mess together.”

She nodded. Above them there was a splintering sound and Michel screamed. “That didn’t sound good,” Rory muttered.

“Let’s get out of here, before the building caves in.” Rory reached for her coffee but Jess rescued it from her hand. “Is this decaf?” he asked, arching an eyebrow.

Rory rolled her eyes as she pushed to her feet. “Not you too!” she exclaimed. “You’re turning into Luke.”

Jess grinned. “So it would seem,” he laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so I'm kind of sorry that they're so short, but I may condense them later, or start working on longer chapters. I'm not sure yet. Stayed tuned. As Jess said, when you're a Gilmore, everything is messy and it's about to explode.


	3. For Whom the Phone Rings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Rory talks on the phone twice, and also gets sick.

Rory always smelled like baby powder when she left the doctor’s office. Lorelei stood next to her, flipping the glossy pages of a parenting brochure that she had taken, making satisfied noises as she agreed with things she was seeing. Rory was gripping a book in her hand, but she had not opened it. Instead she was watching the other women in the elevator. Some were alone, some were with husbands, boyfriends, girlfriends, wives. The doors opened and the Gilmores stepped out into the lobby of the office building. Lorelei had come with her, in her car because the Jeep was in the shop again.

As soon as they were out in the freezing weather once more, Rory felt her mother slip her arm into the crook of her elbow. “You ok, kid?” she asked as they walked through the wide glass doors.  Rory nodded. “How ya handling things?” she continued. Rory shrugged. “You planning on talking at all today?”

“Not really,” Rory answered softly.

“Well, we both know I don’t need you to respond for me to keep on talking,” Lorelei joked. “I’m pretty sure Luke thinks I’m on the phone with you all day because I just keep on talking to myself. Really, I’m surprised that he married me. I’m crazy.”

“No arguments here,” Rory offered as they reached the car. Lorelei split off from her and headed for the passenger seat. Rory slid into the driver’s seat and started the car, cranking up the heat. “How is married life?” she asked.

“You know, it’s a lot of arguing and throwing things, and buying each other insanely expensive gifts. Like in all the movies,” Lorelei answered as she buckled herself in. Rory laughed. “I don’t know, it’s about the same. The only thing that’s changed is that sometimes I scratch him with my engagement ring while I’m sleeping.”

“Aww,” Rory giggled. “That’s so sweet.”

Lorelei hitched a shoulder. “I think he secretly likes it.” Rory pulled out of the parking lot and pointed the car back toward Star’s Hollow. “So you haven’t brought it up all day, so I’m going to. How’s things with Jess?”

Rory sighed. She had known that she would not avoid the topic the whole day, but she had been hoping that maybe Lorelei would have given her a few more hours. Until she could get her dropped off at the house and head back to the apartment, so that she could ignore any texts or phone calls about him. “We’re ok,” she answered, trying not to let any emotion leak into her voice.

But Lorelei was too attuned to her daughter for that nonsense. “Just ok?” she asked, arching an eyebrow. “It’s been two months. He hasn’t crashed on our couch in over three weeks. That means something, I think. How are you ‘just ok’?”

“It’s just… I’m starting to show. And people are going to have to find out soon. And I haven’t…” she trailed off. “I haven’t talked to him about what people are going to say. So I’ve been trying to keep him away from town. I don’t want the gossips to get a hold of him.”

Lorelei frowned at Rory, her brow furrowed. “You should let him make that choice, kid,” she said. “He’s in this, remember? He told you, he’s one hundred percent.”

“He can’t mean that, though, right? Who does that?”

Lorelei’s gaze shifted back out the window, her eyes on the barren landscape. There was still no snow. “Luke,” Lorelei answered. “Luke was always in it, one hundred percent. Maybe not for me, all the time, but for you. For you, he was always there. Even when I wasn’t.” Rory felt warm tears in her eyes, and she nodded. Lorelei was right. She needed to let Jess make his own decisions.

 

She called him when she got back to the apartment. She had dropped off Lorelei at the new Inn, and parked behind Luke’s in the parking spot that he had cleared out for her. She climbed the stairs and shed her giant coat. She really was beginning to show, she knew. Her stomach had started to round out, and her clothes no longer fit her. She was down to wearing slouchy sweaters and baggy pants. Lorelei had bought her a few more pairs of sweats, but she knew it was only a matter of time before she invested in real-life maternity clothes. She sank onto her new couch, it was dark gray and textured. Lorelei had told her that the darker the better, it hid stains well.

The phone rang twice before he answered it, and his voice in her ear was pure happiness. “Hey, beautiful,” he said softly. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Wanna come up tonight?” she asked abruptly. “For the weekend?”

“It’s Wednesday!” he laughed.

“Oh, is it?” Rory flushed, her free fingers drumming on the couch cushion beside her. Her elbow was propped up on the armrest. “I’m losing track of my days, I suppose. So, maybe come up this weekend?”

Jess was quiet for a long moment, and she heard the shuffling of pages. “Actually, I can come up tonight. I don’t have any meetings for the rest of the week, and the one guy I need to touch base with tomorrow is out on the West Coast, so he’s a phone call anyway.”

Rory sat up. “Really?” she asked. “And stay for how long?”

“As long as you want me,” Jess answered. “Liz and TJ would let me crash with them, I think. Or I’ll take the couch at Lorelei and Luke’s again. I don’t have a meeting until Monday morning. So I could head back down on Sunday.”

“Or you could stay here,” she murmured into the phone. She felt him still on the other end. There was no breath in the receiver. He seemed to have stopped breathing entirely. “If you want,” she added hastily.

“Uh, yeah. I’d… I’d like that.”

“Ok, then,” Rory replied. “I’ll see you tonight.”

“It’ll be late, though. Is that ok? Would you rather I wait til tomorrow morning?”

“No, I’ll be awake. If you’re ok driving that late.”

“Yeah, completely. I’ll let you know when I’m on my way.”

“Ok. If I’m asleep, come on up. The spare key is the same place it always has been.”

“You got it, beautiful.” His voice was deep, and it washed over her like a salve. “See you tonight.”

“See you tonight.” They disconnected and Rory sat her phone down on the couch beside her. He was coming. He was staying with her. She could feel the change coming for her. They were about to start a mess of a rumor in motion, and there was no stopping this train as it bared down on her.

 

She was curled up on the couch in the semi-darkness of the apartment when she heard footsteps outside the door. He had texted to tell her he was parking and asked if she wanted him to just let himself in. She would have gone down to get him, but she was warm and cozy all bundled up on the couch and she had just beat back the latest bout of nausea. So she told him to come on up. He knocked softly, as though afraid to wake her. “It’s open,” she called, just barely. She could see his shape through the mottled glass window that still said _office_ on it.

He pushed the door open and grinned as he saw her all curled up under blankets. “Look at this,” he said, dropping his suitcase by the door and sealing it behind him. “You’re adorable.”

“I don’t feel so great,” she muttered. “I wish I did, but I don’t.”

“Aw, beautiful,” Jess murmured, crossing the floor and sinking onto the couch beside her. “Have you eaten?"

“I tried to make soup, but I couldn’t stand up long enough to heat it up,” she hated that she sounded so pitiful. “Why do they call it morning sickness when it comes on at nine o’clock at night?”

“So I’ve heard,” he answered, pressing a kiss onto her forehead. “I’ll make you some soup and toast, if you want.”

“I honestly don’t know if I’ll keep it down,” Rory muttered.

“We’ll find out together, then.” Jess pushed himself up from the couch and headed for the kitchen. “Is this a new development, Rory?” he asked as he pulled a container of Luke’s homemade chicken soup from the fridge. “This nausea?”

“It started sometime in the last few weeks,” she answered, burrowing back into her blankets. “The other day I couldn’t even get out of bed until almost noon because I felt so awful. Mom had to bring me toast and honey for lunch because I was only strong enough to move to the couch.”

“Rory,” Jess stretched out her name disapprovingly. “You can tell me these things, you know.” She frowned into her blanket, and though there was no way that he could see it, he responded as though he could. “Don’t look like that,” he chided, turning up the heat on the stove. “I’m in this. I want to help you.”

“I know you do,” she answered. “And I wanted to talk to you about that.”

“Ok…” He drew out that word too, this time there was trepidation in his voice. “Hit me.”

She struggled to sit up, her stomach swimming. She braced herself against the side of the couch and laid her head down on the back cushions to look at him. She gulped. “I’m starting to show,” she began. Jess nodded, he had noticed when she came down to visit him a few weeks ago. “And people are going to start to notice.”

“Yup,” he said, stirring the soup as though he had not a care in the world.

“And people are going to start to assume that you are…” She trailed off, watching him for a reaction. He did nothing but stir the soup. “They’re going to think that you…” She still could not say it.

“That I’m the father,” he said it for her. Her mouth snapped shut, her lips thin in her face. “I’m aware.”

“And you’re ok with that?” she asked softly, her hands trembling. She was really getting tired of these rebellious fingers of hers. She had never shaken this much in all the years of her life.

“Well, yeah, Rory,” Jess answered, reaching for a bowl in the cabinet to the right of the fridge. “That’s what I was anticipating when I walked into the Inn months ago.”

“Really?” she asked, sitting a bit more upright. Her stomach protested but she forced herself to ignore it. “Because I just assumed that you were going to…” She faded out. “I’m not sure what I assumed.”

“You assumed I was going to tell everyone that the father doesn’t have time for you, but I valiantly stepped in to help out?” His voice was light, but she could hear the hurt beneath them. “I’m not here because you’re pregnant, Rory. I’m here because I love you, and I’m not going to let something like that come between us.”

She froze, staring at him with wide eyes. “What did you just say?” she whispered.

He placed the bowl of soup on a plate to keep her from burning her hands, and crossed over to the couch. He offered it to her. “I love you,” he said again, his voice soft and warm and full. “I have for years. Longer than I ever thought I could.”

“I love you too, Jess,” she whispered back, her smile stretching across her face. She pushed herself up to kiss him lightly, and he leaned down to meet her halfway. Her stomach grumbled at that exact moment, and they both broke away to laugh.

“Eat your dinner, beautiful,” he said, handing her the soup. “I’m going to change into my pajamas. I’m exhausted.”

She took the soup in her hands and curled up to eat. As he grabbed his bag from where he left it by the doorway she spoke again. “Can we go tell Lane and Zack tomorrow?” she asked. He was halfway across the living room, and he slowed to look at her. “I don’t want her to find out through the rumor mill that will likely start turning soon. And I want her to know the truth, about the baby and about us.”

“Absolutely,” Jess answered. “I agree. Lane deserves the whole story, not the watered down version that that town will get.” She watched as he rounded the corner to the bedroom with his bag. Everything seemed to be going so well, but for a Gilmore that was not the time to become complacent.

 

Morning dawned same as it always did, flooding light into the apartment. Rory shifted, burrowing her face into Jess’ shoulder. He rolled into her, pulling her tight against him. His shirt was soft on her cheek and she smiled into his chest as she nestled in. He felt so good pressed against her, his arms around her. This was what she had been depriving herself of for so long, and she could not remember why. Why had she chosen Logan over this man for so many years? Why had she sabotaged herself so completely?

As she traveled down that train of thought, her phone rang, pulling her back. She groaned and rolled over, groping randomly for the cell where it rested on her bedside table. She finally found it and hit the button, not looking at the screen. “Rory Gilmore,” she said, her voice cracking. She cleared her throat.

“Hey, Ace.” She felt her blood run cold. “Long time, no speak,” Logan continued.

Rory must have paled, she certainly felt the blood drain from her face, because Jess had just sat up and was watching her with concern. “Who is it?” he asked. “You ok?”

“Who is that?” Logan asked on the other end of the line. “What time is it there? Isn’t it, like seven in the morning?” He got really quiet for a moment. “Ah, I see. Ok, Ace. I’ll keep it short. My dad caught wind of some pages you were shopping around to some independent publishing houses in New York and he wanted to know if you’re interested in sending some into his office. He’s got an agent that would work well for you.”

“Uh,” Rory said, still speechless. “Thanks, Logan. I’ll… think about it?” Jess’ eyes widened at the name.

“Ok. Give me a call when you get a minute,” he said. There was a brief pause as though he were waiting for her to respond. When she didn’t he continued. “I miss you, Ace.”

“Thanks for the call,” Rory said. “Bye, Logan.” She hung up before he could respond. She tossed the phone across the room to the chair in the corner.

There was a long moment of silence as Rory stared at the phone on the far side of the room, and Jess stared at Rory. “You didn’t tell him,” he said, finally breaking the silence.

“What?” she asked, blinking as she focused on him.

“He’s the father, isn’t he?” Jess asked, his voice dark.

“So what?” she asked, turning her head back down to her lap. “I told you before, he’s got his own life. He’s not going to leave it for this. And I don’t want him to.”

Jess sank back down onto the bed. “Why not?” he asked, reaching for her hand.

It was a single, solitary motion, but it meant so much to Rory. She reached out and slipped her hand into his. “Because I don’t want him. I want you.” Jess shook his head slowly, his lips pressed together until they twisted up into a smile. “What?” Rory asked, nudging him with an elbow.

“Nothing,” Jess replied. “That was a damn good answer.”

“Damn straight, it was.” She shoved him playfully. “Well, I guess we’re up. Might as well have breakfast and face the day.”

“How’s the stomach?” Jess asked, pushing himself up from the bed again. Rory nodded, she felt fine. “Good. Let’s get dressed and make Luke cook for us.”

“Oh, good call!” Rory chirped, bouncing out of bed. “Then off to Lane’s. She takes the twins to school at eight, so we can catch her on the way home.”

“Perfect.”

Once he was in the bathroom, Rory got up and retrieved her phone from the chair. She had a text from Logan.

 _Hey, Ace. I know we said our goodbyes, but I’m in New York for the holidays and I’d love to see you. Let me know when is good for you._  Rory deleted the message and set the phone aside. She had no intention of messaging him back. In the bathroom, the shower came on. She smiled, her hand resting on the curve of her stomach. Her jackets would only hide her new waist for so long now. Things were about to get gossipy in Stars Hollow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! This one is a bit longer! Not much, but, like, 2 pages. Let me know what you think, guys. I'm interested to hear what you might want to see. Are you team Jess? Or team Logan? Do you want Logan to step up? Do you want Jess to stick around? What's going on in those brains of yours? Let me know!


	4. Churning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Rory tells Lane, and Logan.

Bundled up against the elements, Rory and Jess strolled down the street toward the Kim’s house. Usually when Jess would visit her in Stars Hollow, they met at places instead of going together, and they were careful not to touch or linger too long in public. But now, as they walked, their hands were linked. A few people took notice of the couple, and Rory knew that the rumors would launch any moment now. But Jess did not seem to notice them as they walked, so she tried not to either.

As they approached the front of the Kim’s she caught sight of Lane in the distance, moving toward them. “Lane!” Rory called, waving. Lane lifted her head and grinned, waving back. Her gaze fell to Jess and her grin flickered. “Don’t worry,” Rory said softer, to Jess. “She’s cool with you.”

“I hope so,” Jess answered as the distance closed between them. “Hey, Lane,” he greeted.

“Jess,” Lane said, sharply. Her gaze fell to where their hands were linked and her eyebrow arched. “What the hell?” she asked. “What is going on here?”

“Can we talk?” Rory asked, bouncing on the balls of her feet. “Inside?”

Lane looked Jess up and down and then gestured toward the house. “Yeah, come on in,” she said, opening the gate. “Forgive the mess. The kids were in a mood today.” She pushed open the door and let them step over the threshold. Once inside, Jess turned to help Rory from her coat. She shrugged him off, holding out her hand to stay his. “So, what’s up?” Lane asked. She paused for a moment. “Did you want to take off your coats?”

“In a minute, Lane. There’s something I want to tell you.” She felt Jess’ hand slip into hers. “Something we want to tell you.”

“Stop,” Lane said, holding up her hand. “Are you happy?”

Rory glanced to Jess, who tilted his head to smile at her. “Are you happy, beautiful?” he asked softly.

She smiled back. “I’m pretty happy, yeah.”

“Then that’s all that I care about,” Lane commented before she rounded on Jess. “But if you hurt her again, Mariano…”

“I’m not going to cross you, Kim-Van Gerbig.” He rolled his gaze back to Rory. “Should we tell her the rest?”

Lane had been moving toward the kitchen when Jess’ words stopped her. She turned back slowly. “What _rest_?” she demanded.

Slowly, Rory began to unbutton her jacket. “Lane, I need you to listen and not freak out,” Rory started. She shed her jacket and Jess took it. She was wearing a baggy sweater, but it fell open. She was not showing too much, by any means, but on her slight form any weight was noticeable.

“You’re… You’re…” Lane rounded on Jess first. “How long have you two been sleeping together without telling her best friend?” Jess took a step back, Lane fired up was enough to intimidate anyone. “How could you let this happen?”

“Uh, little help here, Rory?” Jess said, holding up both hands to ward Lane off.

“Lane, Lane,” Rory said coming around her and sliding between her friend and Jess. “Lane, it isn’t his. Calm down.”

“It’s _what_?” Lane exploded. Above them they heard a large object drop.

Panic flared in Rory’s eyes. “Not your mom!” she stage whispered. “Stop her.”

Immediately Lane leapt into action. “Everything is fine, Mama!” she shouted up the stairs. “Don’t worry!”

Mrs. Kim’s voice came echoing down the stairs. “Are you sure? It did not sound fine!”

“Nope, it’s fine! Keep doing whatever you’re doing! It’s just Rory!”

“Did you offer her tea?”

“Yes, Mama. I’ll make it.” Almost as though she were on autopilot, Lane moved into the kitchen to make tea. Rory followed her. Jess followed Rory. “Ok, what the hell is going on,” Lane added softly. “If it isn’t his, then whose is it? And why are you so cool with this?” The latter question was directed at Jess even though Lane did not turn. “What am I missing?”

Rory sank into a chair at the table, tugging her sweater around her. “It’s Logan’s,” she answered. Lane froze mid step between the sink and the stove. She turned slowly. “He doesn’t know.” Rory paused, shifting her gaze to Jess. “Yet, I think.” Jess nodded once, acknowledging her train of thought. “But Jess and I are going to give it a go,” Rory continued.

“I’m in if you’re in,” Jess repeated himself.

“And I’m in,” Rory agreed.

Lane was staring at them. When she finally spoke, her voice was icy, and directed at Jess. “So you’re in this, huh? Through everything? The morning sickness, the swollen feet, the bloating, the hemorrhoids, the exhaustion, and that’s just the pregnancy.”

“Yes,” Jess answered. “Through it all.” He stepped behind Rory and placed his hands on her shoulder. “As long as she lets me.”

Rory grinned. “Well, I am a Gilmore, so there’s no way of knowing how long that will be.”

“Well, that’s true,” Lane said, gesturing with the tea pot in her hand. She took a deep, steadying breath. “Ok, so, when are you going to tell Logan?”

Rory reached up and wrapped her fingers around Jess’ hand on her shoulder. He squeezed it back. “He called this morning,” Jess said. Rory’s fingers tightened and again Jess squeezed her hand. “I think he should be told.”

Rory bowed her head. She knew Logan deserved to know. She knew that he would want to know. But his wedding day was drawing closer, and she knew what this would look like to the Huntzbergers. She knew that Shira and Mitchum would see this as an anchor baby, a way to get Logan to be with her and leave Odette behind. The very idea of giving them such a stack of fodder to throw at her was painful. But Emily was out of society now, and she was out of journalism. And so what if Mitchum had contacts in publishing? Her book could stand on its own, and he had enemies that would look at it, right?

“I don’t see why not,” Lane said, startling Rory. Until her friend broke into her train of thoughts, she had no idea that she had said all of that out loud.

“Is that really what you’re worried about?” Jess asked, sinking into the chair next to her. “The Huntzbergers?”

Rory flashed back to the dinner at their estate, the terrible things they said about her. She flashed back to Mitchum telling her that she would not hack it in journalism. She saw every hurtful thing that they had ever said to her and her family spreading out between them. “They’re a really powerful family, Jess,” she answered. “They can ruin a lot of things in a lot of places.”

“But they can’t touch Stars Hollow,” Lane interjected. “We don’t take orders from corporate suits.”

Rory snorted. “You sound like such a rocker. Fight the man! Crush the patriarchy! All that jazz.”

Lane sighed dreamily. “Yeah, Zack would be so proud.” She turned up the stove to boil the water for tea. “But seriously, Rory. Logan deserves to know, and the Huntzbergers can’t touch you here.”

“They can sue me for custody, take it away,” Rory whispered. “So many things could go wrong.”

Jess sighed, his gaze dark. “Rory, none of that’s going to happen.”

“You don’t know the Huntzbergers. They’re like aconitum, beautiful but deadly.”

Lane tilted her head in askance, and Jess snorted. “Did you just liken your ex and his family to a flower whose poison was used to kill whales?”

“I love that you know that,” Rory laughed. “And yes.”

“Well, that’s dramatic,” Lane scoffed. “But seriously, he deserves to know, and you know it.”

Rory nodded slowly. “He texted me after he called this morning,” she added. Jess arched an eyebrow at her but did not speak. “He’s in town. Well, New York. For the holidays. He wanted to know if we could meet up.” She shifted her gaze to Lane. “I deleted it.”

“You should meet up with him,” Jess said. “Bring him here, away from his parents. Tell him. And then cut him loose.”

“What if he wants to be involved?” Rory’s voice was soft. “What if he won’t let me cut him loose?”

“Then we’ll figure it out,” Jess answered. “But he deserves to know. Like your dad.”

The words that Christopher had said to her all those weeks ago in his office came back to her. _It was in the cards, Lorelei and you. From the first moment I saw you two together, no one was getting in between you guys._ “You’re right,” Rory whispered. “He deserves to know. And then I’m going to make it very clear that I want to do this without him. He has his life, and I don’t fit in to it. I didn’t before, and this changes nothing.”

Jess frowned as Lane finally dropped tea in front of them. “It’s gonna change everything, beautiful. But then again, nothing stays the same for long.”

 Leaning against the counter, Lane turned to gaze out the window at the quiet street outside. “Tell that to Star’s Hollow,” she murmured.

 

The moment they stepped back into Luke’s, Jess was commandeered to help Luke with the latest delivery. Apparently the orders had gotten mixed up and now he had three hundred jars of pickled pigs feet, but no mayonnaise. Rory laughed as Jess followed his uncle into the back room to sort through the mess, and then headed upstairs.

She sat down at her laptop and pulled out her cell phone. She had no intention of calling him, but a text would work just fine.

_Hey, got your text. When do you fly in?_

His response took a moment. _Hey, Ace, I land at La Guardia tomorrow morning. Leaving tonight._

_Want to come down to Star’s Hollow one day? We can do lunch._

It took him longer to respond to this one. He was likely checking his calendar, or consulting his fiancée. Rory’s pulse thundered. _Yeah, I can probably head down on Saturday. The ladies are spending the day shopping and Mitchum is in a meeting._ _They won’t even notice that I’m gone._

She cringed at the wording. _The ladies_ would be Shira, Honor, and Odette, she was certain. _Sounds good. I know just the place,_ she sent him.

 _Is it that charming diner I love so much?_ Even the text was laced with sarcasm.

_Nope. That place is too good for you._

_Touché,_ came his response. _See you in two days, Ace._

She set the phone aside just as she heard Jess’ footsteps at the door. He pushed it open, carrying a jar in his hands. “Logan is coming up on Saturday,” Rory said, opening her laptop. “For lunch.”

“OK,” Jess answered. “You good?”

“Uh, yeah,” Rory whispered, waking up the screen. “I may be sick, but I think I’m ok.”

Jess crossed over to the table and set the jar down. Inside it was the misshapen pink flesh of pigs feet suspended in pickling juice. Rory felt her stomach lurch. “Yup, definitely gonna be sick,” she managed to blurt out before sprinting for the bathroom.

Jess followed her into the room to find her kneeled on the floor, her hand wrapped around her hair, heaving her guts into the toilet. He kneeled down beside her and took her hair from her. She threw up again. “What can I get you?” he asked when she was done.

“Water?” she asked meekly. He nodded, reaching up to the bathroom counter to grab a hair tie. He handed it to her and then went to fetch her a glass of water. When he returned her had a blanket and a few pillows from the closet.

“Here,” he said, spreading out the blanket and propping the pillows up next to the tub. “Get comfortable for a few minutes. I’m going to make up the couch for you.” She shifted to lean against the tub, and sipped at her water. “How long does this usually last?” he asked. She shrugged. “Ok, so what movies do we watch? Anything in particular?”

“I’ve been on a Twilight Zone kick, actually.”

“Sounds great. I’ll queue it up.”

They spent the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon with her curled up on the couch, and Jess sitting on the pillows in front of her. He made more soup for dinner, and got ginger ale from Luke downstairs. At the end of the night he helped her to bed and held her while she slept. He was in, all the way.

 

Friday passed without illness, and Rory and Jess went to help Lorelei in the new Dragonfly Inn. This one would have Michel’s spa, and a large dining room for Sookie. There would even be a sauna. Rory took Jess on a tour and by the time they had left the building, the rumor mill had been churning away. Whispers followed them down the streets, voices hushed as they came near. Rory flushed pink at every averted gaze, but Jess just walked as though he had no cares in the world, his hand firmly wrapped around hers.

Finally they stopped on the corner in front of Doose’s and Jess turned her to face him. “Ok, beautiful. What’s bothering you about this?”

Rory shrugged. She knew what she was worried about, but she had already told him and he had waved it away. She did not want people to think he was this irresponsible. Of course, she did not want anyone to think that _she_ was just as irresponsible, either. “I’m just worried about what they’ll say to you,” she answered, finally finding the thread that led to the bigger knot. “I’m worried that someone will remind you of what it used to be like, and you’ll leave. Again.”

Jess sighed. “I never left because of you, you know that. I left because of me. I was broken. Really broken. And I needed to get fixed before I ever deserved you. And I did that. I think,” he grimaced. “I hope.”

“You did,” she whispered.

“Rory, I’ve said it before, and I’ll keep saying it…”

“If you’re in I’m in,” she offered before he could say it.

He nodded, wrapping his arms around her. He bent his head and he kissed her, right there on the street corner in front of Doose’s Market. She felt her cheeks flush red hot for a moment, but soon that feeling faded away and it was just the two of them. That is until Miss Patty let out an ear-piercing whistle from across the street. Rory laughed, pulling away. Jess’ head tilted back as he laughed too.

“It’s about time, kids!” Miss Patty shouted at them, laughing as she clapped.

“Thanks, Miss Patty,” Rory called, waving. Jess laughed too, waving at the woman. They linked hands and Jess pulled her across the street toward the Gazette store front. “Well, now it’s only a matter of time,” Rory laughed.

“Good, because this sneaking around sucked,” Jess laughed as well. “You stopping at the paper?”

“Yeah.”

“Cool, I’ll meet you back at the apartment.” Rory nodded and stopped in front of the Gazette. Jess kept walking, but Rory held fast to his hand, pulling him back around to face her. She reached up on her toes and kissed him again, bold as anything. “Love you,” Jess whispered against her lips.

“Love you, too,” she answered, letting him go. He grinned at her as he turned and headed down the street toward Luke’s.

Rory watched him go for a moment before turning and pushing her way into the paper’s storefront. Esther and Charlie were at their respective spots, Esther filing the same files as always, Charlie was sleeping, as normal. Rory went to unbutton her coat when she heard a familiar voice from the corner where her desk sat. “You’ve got quite a team here, Ace,” Logan said. Rory jumped, spinning and pulling her coat tighter in front of her. “Very spirited.”

“Logan!” she exclaimed, surprise in her voice. “I wasn’t expecting you until tomorrow!”

Logan nodded, leaned back as he was in the chair. His hands were steeped in front of his face with his elbows rested on his knees. “I could tell,” he said, nodding his head over his shoulder to where he had a clear view of Doose’s, and the corner in front of it. Rory’s heart started to hammer. He had seen everything. “Jess, right?” Logan asked. “That’s his name, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Rory answered, feeling like a child and hating it. She had thought she had a full twenty four hours to prepare for this moment. “Hey, can we walk?”

Logan pushed himself up from his chair. “Yeah,” he answered. “Sounds good.” He straightened his coat. “Lead the way, Ace.” Rory nodded, drawing her phone out of her pocket.

She opened a text as she headed for the door and sent five words. _He’s here. I’m telling him._

Logan arched an eyebrow as she slipped the phone into her pocket before he could see the screen. “Checking in with Jess?” he asked, and she caught the condescension in his tone.

“Where does Odette think you are?” she countered snottily.

“Touché,” he answered as he followed her out into the cold. Her phone vibrated in her pocket. She slid it out to look at the screen briefly.

_Good luck, beautiful. I’m at Luke’s when you’re done._

Rory frowned and turned left, away from Luke’s. She did not want to do this in front of Jess. It was going to be hard enough as it was. At the end of the street loomed the new Dragonfly Inn, Rory headed there. “Sorry I didn’t have lunch plans for today, so you’re getting a tour of the new Inn,” she said, leading the way.

“That’s ok. I can’t stay long, Odette is sleeping off the jetlag.”

“What about you?” Rory asked as they walked. She was stalling and she knew it. “What about your jetlag?”

“I’m Life and Death Brigade, I don’t get jetlag.” She nodded in agreement and they fell into silence. Unlike all their other silences this one felt strained, she felt it but she had no idea if he did.

After a moment of walking, he nudged her with a shoulder. “What’s up, Ace? There’s something different about you.” He frowned. “And don’t tell me it’s that Jess guy. Because that’s not it.”

Rory glanced around. They were relatively alone on the street. The troubadour was down a ways and his music gave them a certain amount of privacy from the wind carrying her voice. She reached out and turned him with a hand toward the Inn. “Look, Logan, I need to tell you something and I need you not to over-react.”

“Uh oh, well that's never good." He braced himself. "Ok, Ace, shoot.”

Rory took a deep breath, lowered her voice and said it slowly so that he would not need clarification. “I’m. Pregnant.”

Logan paused in their jaunt and blinked at her as she turned to face him. “Well,” he exhaled softly. “That was fast. How long have you two been dating?”

“It’s not Jess’,” Rory answered, just as softly. “It’s yours.”

Logan paled and blinked again, slower this time. “It’s what?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

“You heard me, Huntzberger.” He stared at her blankly, and she could see the thoughts churning behind his eyes. The panic, the fear, the disbelief. She watched it all happen, and she stood there stoically, waiting for it to pass. Or for him to pass out. Either could happen at this point.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK, guys! How's it going? How's the feels? What do you think? I'd love to hear back from you! How do you think Logan is going to react? Is he going to fight for her? Is he going to respect her wishes? What do you think the Huntzbergers are going to do about this? Do you still think Rory was being selfish, or does her fear of the family have some clout? Let me know! I'm writing this as I go, so who knows! Maybe your reactions will impact the plot!


	5. The Huntzberger Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, Logan knows. And when his initial shock wears off, a storm begins to brew.

Logan was pacing. Rory did not blame him, of course, it would make sense that when faced with this particular type of bombshell that Logan Huntzberger would pace. Fortunately, she had managed to get him to follow her into the new inn, and now he was pacing in the middle of the empty great room that would serve as the lobby. His hands were in his pockets, but occasionally one would emerge to rake through his blond hair. Rory sat in one of the folding chairs from the card table in the kitchen and watched him with bright blue eyes.

Finally he turned to her, his own blue eyes shadowed in his face. “How are you so calm about this?” he demanded, his voice cracking.

“I’ve have two months to process it,” she answered with a shrug. “Believe me, I did a lot of what you’re doing now. Mine involved more tears, though.” Logan nodded absently, his face pale. “Look, Logan, I told you because you deserve to know. I didn’t want you to live in the dark. But I’m good. Really. I’ve got a support structure, I’ve got my mom, I’ve got Stars Hollow. You’re not caught up in this.” She took a deep breath and forced out the rest of it. “I’m not going to make a big deal of it. Ever. I have no intention of running your family name through the mud. I don’t want Shira and Mitchum to even know about this.”

Logan’s gaze shifted toward her. “So you’re keeping it?” he asked. She recoiled, shock showing on her face. “I mean, there’s options. Like adoption. Or… Paris. Paris could help.”

“Paris?” Rory demanded, pushing herself from the chair. “I’m not giving my baby away, Logan. And if you think that’s a possibility, then we’re done here.” She lifted her arm and pointed out the door. “I’ve done my part and told you, you can go now.”

“Hold on,” Logan coaxed, his hands out in a calming gesture. “I didn’t mean it was the only option, just that it’s an option.”

“It’s not,” Rory countered crossing her arms over her chest. “At all.”

“Ok, Ace,” he murmured. “I get it. You’re keeping it. Of course you are, you’re just like your mom.” He took a step toward her, she retreated back to her chair. “So, what are we going to do? What do you need from me?”

“Nothing,” Rory answered. “Nothing at all. I’m good.”

“Where are you living? At home with Luke and Lorelei?”

“No, I’m in the apartment above Luke’s.”

“What?” He looked disgusted. “No. You can’t stay there. I’ll get you a place. Somewhere nice. A house. With a big, beautiful backyard.”

Rory’s jaw dropped, and she leaned back, aghast at him. “I’m not letting you buy me a house, Logan,” she snapped. “I’m staying in the apartment. It’s just fine for me.”

“But is it fine for the baby?”

Rory rolled her eyes. “I spent my formative years living in a gardening shed on the grounds of the Independence Inn, that apartment is a Four Seasons comparatively,” she countered. “This isn’t up for discussion either.”

Logan almost stomped his foot at her, but he reined himself in as she watched. He raked his hand through his hair again. “At least let me pay the doctors’ bills, then?” he asked, his tone soft. “Let me help with that?”

She frowned at him. The bills had been worrisome. She had no insurance through her freelance work, and universal healthcare was going to take a hit with the governmental changeover. She had not done any of the research yet on any type of government assistance for pregnancy, but if Logan was really willing to help it would take a lot of the stress off of her. “Fifty/fifty,” she offered.

“No,” Logan replied, his voice firmer than before. “Nope. I’m paying for the doctors’ bills, all of them. All the way through. Not just the pregnancy, but yours and the baby’s, forever.”

“What? No!”

“Yes. If you’re going to be the mother of my child, I reserve the right to pay for you to be healthy forever. End of discussion.”

“Not the end of discussion,” she countered, though she knew she would lose this battle. He would just do it anyway, and he seemed to have that sort of power. “What are you going to tell Odette?” she asked, changing the subject. He immediately turned away from her, dragging his hand down his face. Rory knew he had been trying not to think of his fiancée, and probably his parents too. This was too big, too complicated, too messy to add them into the equation. And yet they were part of it. “What about your parents?”

His head bowed, and his shoulders heaved as he sighed. “I can’t decide,” he answered. “They should be told, of course. I think,” he added as an afterthought. “But I can just hear what they’re going to say in my head and I don’t want to face that.” He turned to look at her. “I want to ask you to come with me, but I already know your answer. And you shouldn’t have to go through that.”

Rory shook her head. “No, I won’t come with you. I won’t go anywhere near Shira and Mitchum. And I never want to be meet Odette. Ever.”

“That’s gonna be hard since she’s going to be the baby’s stepmom,” Logan countered. Rory glanced away and Logan’s shoulders hunched as realization set in. “Oh, I see,” he said softly. “You don’t want me involved in this at all. That’s why you said fifty/fifty, and waited months to tell me. I’m not in this to you, already. You’re shutting me out.”

“Logan… I,” she cut herself off. “Yeah, I kinda am.”

Logan scowled at her. “Well, I’m not going to let you, Ace. I’m involved. You didn’t get pregnant alone, and I’m not walking away now. I’m not going to have _that_ be my legacy. What a dick move that would be, huh? Just letting you tell me to get lost? Not happening. You jump, I jump.”

“No,” she said, pushing herself up. “There is no jumping anymore. I’m in this and you’re in this, but we’re not in it together. I’m having this baby, you can help out whenever you want, but there won’t be any custody battles, no half the year here and half the year in England. No Huntzberger family dinners, or Christmases, or boarding schools. You don’t have to walk away, but there is no jumping.”

“OK,” Logan answered, holding up his hands. “Take a breath, Ace.”

“And she will never be Life or Death Brigade.”

“She?” he laughed. “Already know what you’re having, huh?”

Rory shrugged, but a smile crept onto her lips. “Of course I do, she’s a Gilmore.”

“Touché.” He opened his arms. “Can I get a hug?” Rory grinned and strolled into his arms, where she hugged him briefly before pulling away. “Ok, so what’s the plan, then? You’re staying in the apartment, got it. You win that round. Can I buy you a nursery? A kitchen? Something big and lavish? Do you want a minivan, or an oversized SUV? What do the trendy soccer moms drive these days?”

“I’m good with my car, and I have a new crib,” she answered, thinking of the pieces that were still laying out everywhere in the space that Jess’ bed had sat in for years.

Logan sighed. “You’re going to fight me every inch of the way, aren’t you?”

“Yup,” Rory countered. “Now, it’s getting late and your entire family has no idea where you are right now. Not to mention I have someone waiting for me, too.”

“Oh, right. Jess. How’s he feel about all this?” Logan turned to follow her and pulled the door open to let her step back out into the frigid December air.

Rory disembarked the porch, bringing Logan with her. “I told him before we got together. I figured he should know before he got involved.”

She saw Logan’s jaw tense, likely at her telling Jess before she told him. But she had made her choices for her own reasons, and she did not regret them. “And he’s just cool with it?”

“He has _What to Expect When You’re Expecting_ in his car. He thought I didn’t see it, but I did.”

“So he’s completely cool with it, then,” Logan mused condescendingly. “Interesting fellow, that Jess.”

“Stop, Logan,” Rory scolded. “You have a fiancée, who moved in with you. And you never told me. This is not your business.”

“It became my business the moment that you started carrying my child,” Logan hissed, aware that they were out in the street again. “You’re already replacing me, and the kid hasn’t even come yet.”

“I’m not _replacing_ you, Logan. You and I haven’t been together since college!”

“Your body begs to differ!” Logan growled, keeping his voice low still.

She spun on him. “We’re _done here_ , Huntzberger! I have done my part and told you! Now I’m done with you. Get away from me!” She turned and stormed down the street back toward the square. Behind her she heard Logan hesitate, then his footsteps picked up behind her. She sped up until she was striding into town. She managed to get almost to Luke’s before Logan caught her arm and spun her back to glare down at her. She tried to yank her arm away without drawing attention, but his grip was fast.

“Rory, I don’t want to argue with you, not now,” Logan whispered, leaning down to her. Somewhere in the back of her mind she heard the doorbell to Luke’s and then she saw the familiar brown jacket appear in her line of vision to her right. To her left was a solid wall of flannel.

“Logan,” Luke said jovially as Jess reached out and extracted his fingers from around Rory’s upper arm. “Good to see you, son.”

“Luke,” Logan greeted, dropping his hand and shift his gaze to Jess. “Jess.”

“Huntzberger,” Jess replied.

“Thanks for taking care of my girl,” Logan added with a sneer.

“Not your girl.” Jess’ voice was dark.

“She’s my girl,” came a voice from behind Logan. He tensed. Lorelei was standing behind him, her purple hat on, her blue coat collar turned up against the cold. “She always has been, she always will be. Now, step away from her.” Logan took two steps back and Rory rubbed her arm where he had grabbed her. “Your welcome here has been worn out for the day, Logan,” Lorelei continued in an even tone. “Now, obviously with everything that you must have learned you know that you are a part of this family now. But Rory will always be my girl, and no one else’s. Understood?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Logan answered, his eyes on Rory. Rory stared up at him, her own eyes dark and hard. “I’ll be going now.” He turned to look at Lorelei when he spoke again. “I won’t be pushed out, though.”

“Of course not.”

“I’ll call you when I figure out what I’m going to tell everyone,” Logan said, turning back to Rory. She nodded. “I’m sorry I scared you. I didn’t mean to, Ace.”

“I know,” Rory answered. “Good luck figuring out how to tell them.”

Logan sighed. “Thanks.” Then he was gone.

There was silence as he crossed the street to where his car had been parked, and Rory wondered at why she had not noticed it there before. He slid into the driver’s seat and pulled away from the curb. It was not until after he pulled around the corner that Luke stepped back from her side. Jess’ arm snaked around Rory’s shoulders but before he could pull her into an embrace, Lorelei strode across the distance between them and swept her into a hug. “You ok, kid?” she whispered into Rory’s hair.

“Yeah, mom,” she answered into her coat. “We covered a lot of ground. There was some yelling, some arguing, and there was a lot of understanding.” Lorelei nodded against her. “He wants to pay for the medical bills.”

“Of course he does,” Jess growled. Rory twisted to look over her shoulder at him. He was frowning after the car. “What else does he want?”

Rory decided not to mention that Logan had offered to buy her a house. “There was no talk about us _making it work_ , or anything. He’s not interested, same as before. He even suggested that it would be difficult for me to never meet his fiancée since she was going to be the stepmom.” Lorelei’s nose wrinkled and she scoffed. “I shot that down real fast.”

“Well, she technically is,” Jess offered. “If Logan’s going to be a dad.”

“No, my child will never be a Huntzberger. She’s a Gilmore, through and through.”

“She?” Jess asked, arching an eyebrow at her.

“Of course it’s a she,” Lorelei countered. “She’s a Gilmore.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, I'm getting a lot of feedback and I love it! Thanks guys! Sorry this one took so long, work and life and all that jazz. Who cares, there's a new chapter! Hope you liked it!
> 
> A few things: I'm getting a lot of pushback over Jess' calling Rory "beautiful". Sorry 'bout it, guys, but I think this one is here to stay. The problem is that there is no canon nickname from Jess to Rory, because the one time he tries to give her one (kiddo) she shoots him down FAST. But I also can't see Jess not adopting something for this bizarre life shift that that've made together. And "baby" isn't going to fly with Rory. So, unless you all have some suggestions, I'm sorry to say it, but "beautiful" is sticking around.
> 
> All that being said, for the couple of reviewers that have said it's "out of character" I think we're all focused on the bad boy Jess that we've been so familiar with. To me, the new "revival" Jess was definitely more comfortable with a more sensitive version of himself. He acknowledged that Lorelei and Rory were the real story of her life, and not any of the men that we associate with her. He also doesn't hesitate to remind her that she is still "a contender" in that adorable scene with the two of them. So, that's my justification. New, "sensitive, totally willing to be a dad to someone else's kid" Jess would be comfortable calling Rory a frivolous nickname.
> 
> But again, if you have suggestions, throw 'em out there. I can always write it in.
> 
> And keep that feedback coming! It's about to get real with the Huntzbergers! Or is it?


End file.
